The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-03-03
OUR .,Jl .WAsHINGToN LETTER.

These are busy days in Washington.
Congress is hurrying through with lis
business, and the citizens are busy
making ready for the great National
Drill to be held here in the coming May.
Most Of the. States have notified the
officers in charge of the enterprise that
they will send troops. On Thursday the
I adjutant general of the State of Ken.
lucky was here completing arrangements
for the Kentucky troops. BE states that
all the State troops would come, among
them being a battalion Of artillery. 1t
will be the biggest show that the city has
had for many year, and will outrival
the famous review cf the Army of Vir.
ginia held at the close of the war, and
which was more than two days in passing
a given point. If the coming drill be
not as large in numbers as the review, it
will far excel it in the variety and
brightness of the uniforms worn. AL
ready applications are coming in to the
hotels by prospective spectators for rooms.
The soldiers will 'encamp on the wide
expanse of grounds south of the Execu.
tive Mansion and west of the Capitol,
and overlooking the beautiful Potomac
into old Virginia. Washington is in the
height Of its beauty in May, and the
soldier boys will have most delightful
time in their raid upon the Capitol Of
their country.
Congress never worked harder than it
is working now, and a strenuous effort
will be made to pass all bills of private
character on the calendar and not object.
ed to. Up to Friday most of the time
was consumed in considering bills of
public nature. More of such bills will
receive consideration, but now all bar.
riers have been thrown down and bills
will be railroaded through. Until Friday
single objection to calling up bill out
of its regular order would preventits con.
sideration. From that time, however,
the rules were suspended, and whoever
could get the recognition of the Speaker
would get his private bill up for action.
A limit of three minutes for and three
minutes against any bill was fixed for
debate, and that practically put the bills
to vote Immediately after reading the
report of the committee. Thursday was
one of the most exciting days of the
session, the question of passing the de:
pendent pension bill over the veto being
the special order of the day. The House
met at II o'clock and nearly an hour
before that time the majority of the
members were present preparing for the
contest. The excited groups in many
parts of the House chamber showed the
Importance of the struggle and the doubt
that hung over the final effort. The
speeches after the House convened were
many and acrimonious, Gen. Bragg, in
particular being extremely severe in his
criticisms of the provisions Of the bill.
The veto was sustained by vote of 175
to pass the bill over the veto to 125
against, the constitutional two thirds not
voting in favor of the bill; and the veto
was the sole topic discussed in the hotel
lobbies the night after it was taken.
The House will unquestionably pass
the bill with the Senate amendments
providing for the Department of Agri-
culture and Labor, to which the Signal
Service will be transferred. 1t seems to
be equally certain that Commissioner
Colman, at present chief of the Agricul-
ture Bureau, will be made Secretary of
the New Department.
1t is believed, too, that the Senate will
agree to the House amendments to the
fisheries retaliation bill, and that the
President will be in position to protect
our interests and compel observance OF
our rights by the time that the fishery
season opens, which will be shortly after
the adjournment of Congress.
At this writing it is impossible to say
who is the coming Secretary of the Treas.
ury. It is very generally conceded that
Speaker Carlisle was offered the position,
and upon mature consideration he de-
clined it. The Speaker has his eye on
Ala p.aaidannu ond Goea nnt cara To